16-Year-Old Is Recovering After Being Shot For Going To The Wrong House To Pick Up Siblings, Police Say

Kansas City Police were reportedly informed that the teenager’s parents asked him to pick up his siblings from an address on 115th Terrace.

However, the 16-year-old mistakenly went to a home on 115th Street, where a homeowner allegedly shot him.

The teenager was identified as a 16-year-old high school junior named Ralph Yarl.

After the shooting, Yarl was taken to a local hospital in stable condition and has since been recovering from his injuries.

According to the outlet, Yarl’s family has retained civil rights attorneys S. Lee Merritt and Benjamin Crump, who issued a statement regarding the teenager’s condition.

“Despite the severity of his injuries and the seriousness of his condition, Ralph is alive and recovering.”

According to CNN, the homeowner has not been identified. Additionally, the suspect was taken into custody and placed on a 24-hour hold, then released.

The outlet reports that Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves explained that “further investigation” needs to be conducted to “obtain a formal statement from the victim” and “gather additional forensic evidence.”

However, according to Graves, a firearm was retrieved from the scene, as reported by KSHB.

“Detectives and crime scene personnel immediately responded, processed the scene and recovered the firearm.”

Furthermore, Graves also explained that under Missouri law, a person could only be held up to 24 hours for the investigation of a felony. After 24 hours, the person “must be charged or released.”

According to KSHB, Kansas City Police have assured the public that a thorough investigation is being conducted regarding the shooting of the 16-year-old.

Despite the reassurance, community members reportedly “rallied” outside the home where Ralph Yarl was shot.

According to KSHB, the protesters believe that the shooting was racially motivated.

The community members reportedly chanted “justice for Ralph” and “Black Lives Matter” outside the residence. Furthermore, they also carried signs that read, “Ringing a doorbell is not a crime” and “The shooter should do the time,” as reported by CNN.

The police chief has since responded to accusations that the shooting was racially motivated, as reported by CNN.

“The information that we have now, it does not say that that is racially motivated. That’s still an active investigation. But as a chief of police, I do recognize the racial components of this case.”

According to CNN, a GoFundMe was launched by Faith Spoonmore, the aunt of Ralph Yarl. The fundraiser is intended to assist the family with Yarl’s medical expenses and therapy.

Since its launch, the campaign has raised over $849,834, with over 21,000 people donating.

Additionally, the description on the GoFundMe offers a recount of the events that allegedly occurred when Yarl was shot.

On Thursday, April 13, 2023, my nephew Ralph Pual Yarl was on his way to pick up his twin younger brothers from their friend’s house a few blocks away from his house. He didn’t have his phone. He mistakenly went to the wrong house, one block away from the house where his siblings were. He pulled into the driveway and rang the doorbell. The man in the home opened the door, looked my nephew in the eye, and shot him in the head. My nephew fell to the ground, and the man shot him again. Ralph was then able to get up and run to the neighbor’s house, looking for help. Unfortunately, he had to run to 3 different homes before someone finally agreed to help him after he was told to lie on the ground with his hands up.”

According to CNN, the 16-year-old was looking forward to graduating high school and visiting West Africa before beginning college. He hopes to major in chemical engineering at Texas A&M.

According to a reported published by The Kansas City Star on Monday, April 17, Ralph Yarl has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home.